Overshoe retainer



' E.'E. MULLI NIX.

OVERSHOE RETAINER. APPLICATION FILED AUG-15,192l.

Patented M21127, 1922 Y 1)" Y v w gwmmto V PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER E. MULLINIX, OF BURLINGTON, KANSAS.

, OVERSHOE RETAINER.

Application filed August 15, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Emilia E. hIULLiNIX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Coffey and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Overshoe Retainer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an attachment for rubber sandals or low overshoes, one of its objects being to provide a novel form 'of clamp for engaging the heel of a shoe when pressed downwardly into the sandal so that the heel will be tightly gripped, and the sandal will be prevented from becoming detached accidentally.

Another object is to provide an attachment of this character which is light in con struction, simple and compact and can be applied readily to a sandal overshoe or, if preferred, can be built thereinto as a part of the overshoe.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention-resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of an overshoe or sandal having the present improvements combined therewith, only a part of the overshoe being shown and a portion thereof be ing broken away, the heel engaging jaws being shown in upstanding positions.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33, Figure 1- Figure & is a section on line l4, Figure 8.

Figure '5 is a detail view of one of the latch studs.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a portion of an overshoe or sandal the heel of which has been indicated at 2. A base plate 3 is mounted on the heel within the sandal and may be se- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

Serial No. 492,288.

cured thereto in any manner desired, as by means of short screws 4. The ends of this plate which lie close to the sides of the overshoe are rolled inwardly to form hollow beads 5 and extending forwardly from the middle portion of the plate 3 is a tongue 6 terminating in an upstanding ear 7. Another ear 8 is extended upwardly from the tongue and is spaced from the ear 7 In this car 8 is slidably mounted a releasing plunger 1 one end of which is slidably mounted in a small opening 10 in the back of the heel portion of the overshoe or sandal while the other end portion has a head- 11 thereon against which bears a spring 12 thrusting against the ear 7. Thus the spring serves to hold head 11 pressed normally against ear 8 and vith the rear end of the plunger 9 projecting beyond the back of the overshoe.

Projecting 16Ll\ ardly from the upper corners of the head 11 are beveled studs 13 the lower ends of which form stop shoul these devices comprises preferably a single link of stiff spring wire bent to form a yoke 15 which overhangs the plate 3, each yoke having one corner portion movable downwardly onto the beveled face of one of the studs 13 so as to shift the studs and the head 11 against the action of spring 12 until said corner portion arrives below the shoulder 1%, whereupon the spring 12 will return the studs to their normal positions and the yoke will be fastened down on the plate 3 as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2. The outer ends of both arms of each yoke 15 merge into coils or eyes 16 which are mounted on a pintle extending through one of the beads 5 as shown at 17. From these eyes or coils the wire forming the heel engaging device is extended upwardly and inwardly to form a jaw 18, the terminals of the wire lapping to form the upper portion of the jaw as shown by full and dotted lines in Figures 1 and i respectively A spring strip 19 is extended under the plate 3 and has its ends extencing upwardly past the beads 5 and attached to the jaws 18 so as to exert normally an outward pressure against each of said as shown in Figure 2.

In the structure shown the jaws 18 and the upwardly extending ends of the spring strip 19 are embedded in the side portions of the overshoe or sandal so that said portions will move with the jaws. Ordinarily the yokes 15 are in their uppermost position as shown in Figure 2 and the jaws 18 are thus spread apart. When a shoe is inserted into the overshoe or sandal the heel, when pressed downwardly, will engage and force down the yokes 15 so that they will snap under the studs or latches 13 and thus be securely held. This action will cause the jaws 18 to swing toward each other and clamp upon the-sides of the heel. As the jaws and yokes are formed of stiif spring wire the jaws can yield to any necessary extent during the clamping operation. They will, however, grip the heel of the shoe with suflicient pressure to prevent the overshoe from becomin accidentally detached. When it is desire to remove the overshoe the projecting end of the plunger 9 is pressed against some object so as to cause the studs 13 to move forwardly out of engagement with the yokes 15. Consequently the spring strip 19 will immediately move the jaws 18 apart and the yokes 15 upwardly so that the heel will be released and can be lifted readily from between the jaws 18.

It is to be understood that instead of embedding the jaws 18 in the sides ofthe overshoe they can be mounted on the inner surfaces of the overshoe so as to swing inwardly spring controlled latches within the over- I shoe, said members being depressible by an inserted shoe to shift the jaws into engagement with the shoe and to engage the latches.

2. The combination with an overshoe, of opposed jaws in the side portions thereof, inwardly extending members projecting from the jaws and yieldable relative thereto,

spring controlled latches within the overshoe, said members being .depressible by an inserted shoe to shift the jaws into engagement with the shoe and to engage the latches, and a releasing plunger connected to the latches.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELMER E. MULLINIX.

Witnesses:

A. J. SANDERS, W. R. SANDERS. 

